This is important.
Check out the graph above and the graph below, and the scores for ‘loneliness’.
Between January 2018 and June 2020, there has been an exceptional shift in the awareness and concern of people aged 60+ in their realisation that they are alone and isolated in their community.
The graph above is part of the results from the survey we commissioned AOR Research in January 2018 to benchmark non-village residents against village residents as part of our National Resident Survey.
The sample was 1,109 people and just 2% identified that they had feelings of loneliness and isolation and would consider that a trigger to consider moving to a retirement village.
The graph below is the result of the Exploratory stage research we commissioned with AOR in the past three weeks in preparation for our 2020 Prospect Profile research of the general public and their openness to moving to a retirement community (a retirement village or land lease community), plus their views on home care.
The exploratory stage involves 40 in-depth face-to-face interviews in the person’s home, and lasting up to 2 hours.
The objective was to identify the deep drivers and emotions in the post-COVID world. From this work, an online survey of 2,000 people plus a telephone survey of 200 will be developed.
The interviews identify the real themes and language for the survey questions and hypotheses.
Of the 40 interviews, 20 were independently selected members of the public. Across the 20 individual’s loneliness and awareness of their isolation in today’s world was an extremely strong emotion, with 25% being rated as ‘high’ and a total of 60% ‘moderate to high’.
Compared to January 2018 when just 2% identified this emotion, it appears the world has changed and retirement communities are seen as an extremely viable option.
Perhaps more importantly is the new emotion of ‘remaining independent’. For 55% of the interviewees, this was the most significant concern and aspiration.
This is different from past surveys where people were searching for a more manageable home. The interviews identified ‘independent’ means in control of their life when the world around them appears out of control.
This is powerful stuff for marketers. Think about it; are you investing your marketing dollars with the right messages to capture this new customer? On Thursday we will go into more detail.
Meanwhile you can learn more on our research program here.
